@ Nichole, very informational. I have spoke to my boyfriend about switching to raw, and we do give it to our dogs occasionally, but it never seems to sit to well with abby's stomach & we found it to be pretty costly. I know that purina is not a very good quality food, but i find it difficult to find one that is still affordable, dont get me wrong, when it comes to thier nutrition, i do not have a problem paying out a little extra, but i dont want to break the bank on food alone. Any suggestions?

I do not think she needs to gain weight. As her body and joints are now maturing, I might start including a little more cardiovascular activity for her like fetch or swimming or going on jogs with you, and put her on an adult food.

If your vet thinks the diet you are feeding isn't enough, then instead of putting more stuff on top I would just switch brands. Diamond Naturals (not regular), Healthwise for Pets, Professional, & Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul are all foods that do contain grains (like the Purina you like) but are generally more bang for the buck in that they have whole grains, no sugar/dye, and compared to Purina, get more protein and calories from meat instead of vegetables or soy. These are also much more reasonably priced than many of the grain-free kibbles, and if your dogs have done well on a kibble with grain, then it works for them.

If you do stick with Purina then I would just swap to the adult food and increase her exercise a bit so she can shed a little flab and gain better/adult muscle tone as she matures. Her muscle mass can increase, it is limited by age and genetics, but just like in humans-- muscles only get bigger or look better if we USE them. I eat a ton of meat but if I don't do exercise I will not have nice hamstrings or abs no matter how much steak I eat. Sadly. Lol

What the. Based on those pics she looks probably a little too bulky. Maybe your vet needs glasses or he is used to those whale Pitts that get around.

My girl is 16 months and its only been the last few months she has actually started bulking up and stopped looking like a whippet. Mind you she is taller than the average Pitt as well, she grew tall really quick and was awkward and lanky for a while (people asked if she had greyhound in her ).

Don't worry about what he said. And I would change to a better quality food as suggested here.

If she was my dog, I would try to knock a few pounds off her. I see extra mass on her chest, in between her forelegs, and padding the top of her butt. I would increase her exercise, but not wildly so. I would avoid anything w/a lot of impact until she weighs a bit less, it's not fair to her joints. If you were so inclined, you could get her a weight pull harness and do some drag weights, it's great for toning up dogs. Likely just a better feed in a smaller quantity would do the trick. If you give treats, many dogs really like fruits and vegetables. Both your dogs are very good looking, BTW. I did mistake you for another member who's doing agility, I apologize for the confusion.

I agree with others that she could stand to lose a bit of weight. It's possible she could use more exercise, depending on what she is getting now. At a year, she's old enough to start increasing exercise. I also think she would benefit from a higher quality food. It isn't really about protein level, it's about how well she can use the nutrition the diet provides. The Purina is not as bioavailable as better quality brands. I wouldn't recommend supplements, just a better quality feed in less amounts and possibly more exercise.

Well i run 4 miles a day, and the dogs go with me. I have weight straps that they wear every other day while running/playing. Petey has been wearing them for years, while I just started putting them on abby about 3 weeks ago. We take a 20 minute break at the halfway point, but during that time Abby is usually antsy, and still very energized, so I play a little fetch with her while resting. When we get back home, the dogs nap/lounge around while I do housework, then we work on the spring pole, or flirt pole for however long they stay interested, which is usually around 20-30 minutes. The rest of the day is usually a free for all. They do whatever, while I am working, and when I am not too busy I play with them with a tug rope, ball, whatever they want. After work, and supper, I run another mile, and if they want to go with me, they do. But sometimes they do not want to move off the couch, so they stay behind. So that is pretty much our exercise time, it is not an absolute fixed schedule, but that about sums it up.

I don't agree with your vet. Bully breeds shouldn't be getting their muscles until about 2 years old and if you bulk her up too early you are just setting her up for all sorts of joint and hip problems!

Yeah we are switching to blue buffalo. We bought some yesterday, and mixed a little with her other kibble, and I gave her a few peices as treats on our run this morning, and she loved it. So I have a feeling she will do well with it.

It's probably better to avoid making the dogs wear weighted straps of any kind while they're running/playing. Those can be hard on the joints, and if Abby needs to lose some weight, her joints are already being stressed a bit by that alone. No need to add more. If you want, you can accustom your dogs to wearing weight pull harnesses and have them drag light weights around, but keep it low-impact.

Switching to a higher quality food and reducing portions accordingly should both help Abby slim down.

rgyoung777 wrote:It's probably better to avoid making the dogs wear weighted straps of any kind while they're running/playing. Those can be hard on the joints, and if Abby needs to lose some weight, her joints are already being stressed a bit by that alone. No need to add more. If you want, you can accustom your dogs to wearing weight pull harnesses and have them drag light weights around, but keep it low-impact.

Switching to a higher quality food and reducing portions accordingly should both help Abby slim down.